The story of a queen who deserves to become a legend - a startlingly original tale of Arthur & Guinevere

Often portrayed as spoiled, in Persia Woolley's hands Guinevere comes alive as a high-spirited, passionate woman. When she is chosen by Arthur to be his wife, Guinevere's independence wars with her family loyalty. As the wedding approaches and hints of rebellion abound, she learns that the old gods are in revolt against the new Christian church, and that scattered kingdoms are stirring from their uneasy peace. This is Arthurian epic at its best, filled with romance, adventure, authentic historical detail, and a landscape alive with the mystery of Britain in the Dark Ages.

"This is truly original. As a re-creation of the legend in a version closer to the realities, it's far better than anything else I've read." —Geoffrey Ashe, author of The Discovery of King Arthur
"This richly detailed novel is romantic, its characters are vivdly drawn, and Woolley's clear styles flows as smoothly as her unfolding story." —Morgan Llywelyn, author of Lion of Ireland and The Horse Goddess.

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. The standout opening volume of Woolley's Guinevere trilogy, first published in 1987, describes the Celtic princess's childhood in loving, sensuous detail with an uncannily accurate historical eye for day-to-day details. As Guinevere comes of age to marry Arthur, the recently crowned high king of Britain, Woolley does a marvelous job of portraying the political upheaval of the time. Despite the struggle between Celtic and Roman culture, Guinevere finds herself working with Arthur to unify a divided country and repel the onslaughts of Saxon invaders and rebellious kings. The sharply delineated cast will be familiar to any fan of Arthuriana, though many characters get new twists. While hardly the first book to retell these myths from a woman's perspective, this is an engrossing and satisfying addition to the canon. (Nov.) (c)
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Review

The writing was sophisticated, the characters stem from legendary stories and there was enough action and romance to keep readers engaged. (Palmer's Picks for Reading 20101108)

Guinevere is bold and strong, a true heroine in every sense of the word. Guinevere truly gets a rework here. Rather than being the wishy-washy fair-headed maiden of the romantic legend, she is a formidable Queen. (Queen of Happy Endings 20101118)

An enthralling read with fascinating three-dimensional portrayals of Arthurian legendary characters set in a historical accurate Britain. (Laura's Reviews 20101118)

This is quality storytelling that has stood the test of time, and I look forward to seeing the other two volumes in this trilogy back in print. (Historical Novels Reviews 20101123)

Fans of the Arthurian legends will appreciate and love this re-telling. (Debbie's Book Bag 20101129)

It is evident from the beginning that Woolley took her time researching the history of the time period as she goes into extraordinarily vivid description. Her characters come to life. (Rundpinne 20101201)

The world of Arthur and Guinevere was masterfully created. (The Maiden's Court 20101201)

eeing developments through the eyes of Guinevere... gave the story an entirely different feel, rhythm, and emphasis. (Apprentice-Writer 20101206)

Persia Woolley delivers in Child of the Northern Spring... it has garnered itself a spot in my permanent collection. (Read All Over Reviews )

Every little detail was so spot on and it was very impressive. You feel as if you are a part of it. (Books Like Breathing )

Woolley brings light to the to this time period and she paints vivid images of what life was like at the time of the 'Celtic Renaissance' when the many Celtic tribes revolted against marauding Anglo-Saxons. (Books by the Willow Tree )

Child of the Northern Spring

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